Frederic Joseph DeLongchamps

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Personal Information
Frederic Joseph DeLongchamps
Name	Frederic Joseph DeLongchamps
Nationality	American
Birth date	June 2, 1882
Birth place	Reno, Nevada
Date of death	February 11, 1969
Place of death	Reno, Nevada
Work
Practice Name	DeLongchamps, O'Brien and Wells
Significant Buildings	Washoe County Courthouse Reno Main Post Office Riverside Hotel

Frederic Joseph DeLongchamps (June 2, 1882 - February 11, 1969) was an American architect. He was one of Nevada's most prolific architects, yet is notable for entering the architectural profession with no extensive formal training.

1 Life
2 Work
- 2.1 Buildings
- 2.2 Awards
3 References

[edit] Life

[edit] Early life and education

Born Frederic Joseph DeLonchant in Reno, Nevada on January 2, 1882, he was raised in Washoe County, graduating from Reno High School in 1900, then the University of Nevada in 1904 with a degree in mining engineering.

[edit] Career

DeLongchamps was employed as a mining engineer and draftsman in Inyo County, California before he embarked on a career in architecture. He spent a short time in San Francisco where he may have apprenticed, but he returned to Nevada in 1907 and formed a partnership with Ira W. Tesch.

From 1909 to 1938, DeLongchamps maintained his own firm and became one of Nevada's most prolific architects. He designed both private and public buildings including nine county courthouses in Nevada and California. He was awarded the contract to design the Nevada Buildings for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915), winning a silver medal for his work. DeLongchamps was appointed Nevada State Architect in 1919 and was the only person to hold the position, which was abolished in 1926. During this time, he designed many state buildings.

In 1939, George L. F. O'Brien joined DeLongchamps in partnership in Reno, and Hewitt Wells added his name to the association in 1962. The architectural firm of DeLongchamps, O'Brien and Wells continued to design buildings, mainly in the Reno area, into the 1960s.